Windy Ridge Autism Supports

03/01/2026

Foundational 🙏 Autism Level UP

10 April 2026!

We're Bringing the Energy and All the Autism Level UP Tools to Regulate it!

Come spend a day with us (virtually) - we'll be chatting about all things ENERGY 8am-2pm ET

We're going to consolidate our answers to the most frequently asked questions about the training here for easy access. 🤓🤓

1) For those of you with time zone concerns, we will be recording the training. All of the training times are posted for ET. If this coincides with a time you should be asleep, know that all of our trains are recorded will be available via video for three weeks for anyone who has registered. We do not sell access to the recordings after the live training. You have to be registered for the live training (even if you don't attend) to receive the link.

2) We are not offering CEUs for these courses. We will offer a certificate of attendance for registered attendees who participate in the live trainings or watch the recorded version. This certificate will have your name, our name and credentials, title of the training, date, and hours of the training. Most professional organizations will count this type of certificate for a portion of professional development / continuing education requirements. We just can't begin to administer the process of CEUs for all the professions in all the countries. (We'd need an admin staff and a benefactor. We don't have either. 😂😂)

3) We will email handouts to all the participants with the link to the training that they have registered for. These things will go out just a few days before each of the trainings. If you have registered for one or more of the training dates, rest assured we will send you want you need before you need it 📥👍

4) Questions! You have questions about questions. Yes, we will do our best to leave time to answer questions (Believe it or not we are BOTH quite chatty when we talk about these topics 🤗) But, we know you have questions. We always monitor the chat as we go for recurring themes. We won't be able to answer super individual specific questions in this forum- but we try to touch on everything.

Will pop link in the comments -

Image description - a slide we're often racing to get to at the end of the day... as we've spent so much time discussing all the work we need to put in to make sure we can actually develop a regulation plan that is individualized, affirming, and accessible for a person! It shows an energy regulation plan and offers a stark contrast in complexity to a simple traditional behavior management tool which is pictured on the slide too

02/28/2026

https://www.autismcentral.org.uk/news/blog-grandparents-autistic-children?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQQNAVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeLFLApxhy6WcvPZF66HWLHiSjlH1uNrWGzEKut3Jau5hywkYutRU3t6EqfeM_aem_U8TUx_fW5W7ndhzkUKsavw

Grandparents may feel very worried when they first hear that their grandchild is autistic. Ann Memmott debunks some common myths around autism and shares ideas on what grandparents can do to offer help and support.

02/28/2026

Emotions Need Connection, Not Correction

A child sits on the floor crying after being told it’s time to leave the playground.

The first instinct might be to correct the behavior, reminding them of the rules or rushing them along.

But beneath the tears is disappointment, not defiance.

Instead of correcting, the caregiver sits beside them and says, “You really wanted more time to play.”

The child’s sobs soften as they feel seen and understood.

A hand on the back and a calm presence help their nervous system settle.

Only after the child feels connected can they hear what comes next.

“Let’s take one last deep breath together, then we’ll go,” the caregiver offers.

The transition becomes smoother because the emotion was met with empathy first.

Connection creates safety, and safety allows cooperation to follow.

When emotions are honored instead of corrected, children learn they are not alone in their feelings.

02/28/2026

This graphic illustrates a popular quote “behaviour is communication” and asks us to dig deeper to see what is behind troubling behaviour. Download your copy here: https://self-reg.ca/behaviour-is-communication/ 🗻

02/28/2026

This sounds exciting! Thank you NeuroWild !

I wonder-

Would any of your kids be interested in an online procreate workshop/hang?

I'm definitely not an expert, by any stretch of the imagination. But there are a whole lot of basics and tips that I could help with, if your kid is into digial art.

I thought we could set up a zoom call situation as a group and do some drawing together? Like a 'welcome to procreate' tutorial? They wouldn't have to have cameras on or anything.

They would need an ipad, apple pencil, and the program Procreate (which is about $10 as a one-of payment).

I don't know if that's a thing that anyone would be interested in?

Let me know.

Em 🌈

02/26/2026

02/26/2026

02/25/2026

This is for all of us!

Join in.
With a goal of advocating for solutions.
*** Suzanne Perrault - Executive Director Autism BC will be joining ****

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/26d_QC8aRbOmxQmSygdfpQ

02/23/2026

Alexithymia

Alexithymia: When the Brain Struggles to Label Emotion 🧠

Alexithymia literally means “no words for emotions.”
It isn’t a diagnosis, but a trait characterised by difficulty:

• Identifying internal emotional states
• Distinguishing emotions from physical sensations
• Describing feelings to others

Research suggests alexithymia is linked to differences in:

🔎 Interoception – the brain’s ability to sense internal body signals (heart rate, muscle tension, stomach sensations).
If you can’t accurately read body signals, emotions are harder to recognise.

🧠 Prefrontal cortex functioning – involved in labelling and regulating emotion.

🔥 Limbic system activity (especially the amygdala) – which detects threat and triggers emotional arousal.

In simple terms:
The emotional alarm system activates…
But the “naming and meaning-making” system struggles to translate it.

This is why we often see:
• Emotional outbursts that appear sudden
• “I don’t know” when asked how they feel
• Physical symptoms (headaches, nausea, fatigue)
• Irritability instead of vulnerability
• Shutdown when pressured to talk

Alexithymia is particularly common in neurodivergent populations, including ADHD and autism. Importantly, it is not a lack of emotion — it’s a difficulty processing and articulating emotion.

If a young person cannot label what they feel, emotional regulation becomes significantly harder.

So instead of asking, “Why are you upset?”
we might scaffold:

• “Where do you feel it in your body?”
• “Does it feel big or small?”
• “Does this feel closer to anger, fear, or sadness?”

We are essentially helping build neural pathways for emotional literacy.

Emotional language is not automatic for everyone.
For some children, it is explicitly taught, modelled and practised over time.

And when we understand the science, we respond with support — not frustration. 💛

02/23/2026

Calling all Windy Ridge Families with siblings!

Wonderful Wednesdays .
SIBLINGS.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vgBifnJHQ8GmaGQ8OdLOYg